Iron and Candy
by spacegypsy1
Summary: A Daniel and Vala story. Established relationship. Of course my take on all things SG-1 is D/V got together at least by Unending, if not before.


Iron and Candy

spacegypsy1

A Daniel and Vala story. Of course my take on all things SG-1 is D/V got together at least by Unending, if not before.

~0i0~

When the heavy door of her guest quarters on the _George Hammond_ creaked open, Vala yawned. "About time!" She got up from her perch on the end of the bed. "I've been here for nearly an hour and haven't gotten a glimpse of you."

Sam laughed. "I have duties, you know."

Vala handed her friend a glass of red wine. "It's had plenty time to breathe. Actually it may be out of breath now. If my visit is going to be like this for the next few days maybe you can find me something to do while you are running your ship."

Vala held a hand out towards the small table laden with treats she'd brought from Earth, and Sam's eyes lit up.

"It's good to see you Vala." Sam gave Vala a one arm hug, holding the wine carefully. "It's been too long."

Hugging her friend tight, Vala sighed. "It's been six years! I can't believe it."

"What? It's only been six weeks... oh, wait, _that_. Yes. It's strange. What's even stranger is, what are you doing here?"

Shrugging, Vala sat and picked at a piece of cheese. "As opposed to being?"

"Home." Sam sat across from her friend and pulled a fresh pear from the fruit basket.

"Oh. Well, I miss you terribly, and it's difficult for us to visit these days, so I took the opportunity before it passed... and I need help." She switched gears with baffling speed. "Carolyn was useless. She thinks a cast iron skillet with a chocolate donut in it would be nice! I'm so confused. Iron _or_ candy doesn't seem to excite a great deal of ideas."

"Iron or candy?" Perplexed, Sam cocked her head.

"Suggested gifts, Samantha. For a sixth anniversary...? You know it's _your_ planet that came up with these odd traditions, _I _shouldn't have to explain them to _you._" Vala gave the blond an exasperated look. "That's what I need help with. I need your expert opinion."

"Oh, I see. There are more modern things, now, Vala."

"Heavens forbid! Tradition cannot be broken in this respect and you know it! It's been a precarious six years, let's don't hock the boat with something non-traditional!"

"Right. Wouldn't want to have to hock the boat." Sam grinned. "Well," she began, taking a bite of the juicy fruit first, before offering her 'expert opinion'. "I suppose we could come up with a plan before I take you back to Earth. We're stopping at Storic, P5Y-093, on the way back. They have lots of trading and are famous for their..." Sam stopped when she realized Vala had that look. "Okay, you know all about Storic."

"I haven't been there in years, but I remember lots of markets with little or nothing of interest to me. Or for what I need. Of course, I _was_ on the run, so I might have missed the good stuff... well, not really, I have a gift for finding the good stuff."

"I'm sure you can find something. You'll be looking for something other then the type of 'good stuff' one might need when one is on the run. Six year wedding anniversaries are not a big deal anyway." Sam offered. "Why not just get some candy and be done with it?"

"Candy? Seriously, Sam? You have _got _to get home more. You sound positively silly. Candy! It's not me or you getting the gift. It's me _giving_ it!"

Sam picked up her wine glass holding it up as a salute. "We both know that's what he'll give you."

"Yes. And he positively insists I not get him a present. Which, of course, means I have to find something extraordinary!"

~0i0~

The markets on Storic were crowded but Vala found the perfect gift.

"Sam!" Vala waved her friend over from across the dusty street lined with colorful venders. "Daniel would love this planet. I should bring him here. Look what I found!"

"Great." Sam stared at the oddly-shaped statue. "Uh, what is it?"

"An ancient iron fertility goddess from a dig in the planet's northern highlands!"

Sam smiled. "Perfect! I know you've both been wanting a baby."

"Um hum. We've been trying and trying and trying. Which of course is _wonderful_ and Daniel..."

"Vala."

Vala grinned sheepishly. "Well, my baby making time was getting very, very close to coming to extension!"

"Extinction?"

"Right!"

Sam stalled, staring at Vala curiously. "Hold up a minute, what do you mean by _was_ getting close?"

Vala turned the iron figure to and fro. "Well... let's just say I don't _NEED_ the fertility goddess anymore."

"Wow." Sam smiled happily. "Now _that's_ the perfect gift for a six year wedding anniversary! Are you sure you should be beaming around the universe?"

"Carolyn said it's all fine. I had to tell you in person! I was so worried... I thought maybe Adria had done something, you know, after she was born." Raising her shoulders high, Vala practically squealed. "Obviously not, I'm so excited! I can't wait to get home and give this to Daniel and see if he can figure it out."

~0i0~

"Hello darling!" Vala blurted out catching Daniel in his office deep in journaling.

Flinching, his pencil scraped across the page. In the past he would have grumbled, instead, he looked up, obviously happy to see her. "You're home! I was worried you'd miss our... date."

"Umm, never! Kiss me?" She sidled up to his desk, grin wide and eyes sultry.

He stood, hugged her, but quickly set her aside. "Not here."

"Well, this is like the old days. Very disturbing, Daniel. I've been gone three days and you act like like I've been gone three hours."

Sitting back down, he smiled up at her. "I'm in the middle of something I need to finish. Give me a few hours. Besides, don't you have to spend hours getting ready for our anniversary dinner?"

Pouting, Vala parked her six on his desk. "Dinner?"

Head down to avoid being completely distracted by her glowing, lovely face, he answered. "Yep. Dinner."

"That's it? Dinner?"

"Sure."

"Oh." She sighed deeply, stood, and after trailing a finger down his cheek she leaned and whispered across his cheek, close to his ear. "I've planned a remarkable dessert, are you sure you don't want to eat at home?"

A shiver pass up his spine and he drew a ragged breath. "Er... I was planning that. I mean I've ordered something to pick up on our way home."

"Sounds wonderful, darling," she added, moving so close her breasts rested against him, "are you quite sure you need to work 'a few hours' more?"

Daniel sighed, took his glasses off and pushed away from his desk.

Vala cocked her head, raised a brow.

Once again he stood, this time placing a hand on her bum as she leaned into him. "How about thirty minutes to get what I have to Dr. Lee, then I'll shower, change, and pick up dinner on our way home."

"Much better."

~0i0~

Excited, Vala dug in the take out bags as Daniel drove. "Smells yummy! Oh, and champagne. Hmm. This will be fun. Did you get me a present? You know I love presents."

"Yep. It's home."

"I have one for you too!"

"Vala." Daniel took a quick look at her, "I didn't want to get me anything."

"I know. But it's small. Actually, very very small. I mean right now it's tiny. But it'll... well, there's one that's just some artifact I picked up. You'll like it. It's old."

As he parked Daniel laughed, "Tiny and very old, eh?"

"No. One is tiny and one is old. The tiny one isn't very old and the old one isn't very tiny."

"Two?"

"Um hmm." Vala unbuckled her seat belt and rubbed her hands together in glee. "I can't wait to get my present. Something chocolate I'll bet."

"You'll see."

All the way up the elevator Vala plied Daniel for hints as to what her present was but he wouldn't give her any clue.

Stopping at the door of Daniel's apartment, the one she moved into with him even before they were married, she was surprised when he continued down the hall. "Daniel? Where are you going?"

Turning his head, grinning, he jerked his head towards the apartment at the end of the hall. "Come on. Your chocolate is right down here."

"At our neighbors place...?" Curious she rushed to catch up, latched her arm through his and let him lead her.

"Not anymore." At the door, Daniel pulled out keys and opened the door then handed her the keys, stepped aside and ushered her in. "Welcome home, sweetheart."

"What!? This... oh..." Looking around the large living room, all of their belongings were in place with a few new pieces. "Daniel? I don't understand."

Coming up behind her, Daniel wrapped his arms around her waist. "Happy Anniversary. It's a three bedroom. Bigger kitchen, laundry room, all the comforts. You know, so maybe sometime in the future, if we have a kid or two we'll have room. If not, we have an office and a guest room." He kissed her neck. "I missed you like crazy. Come on, take the tour."

Daniel watched her as she strolled around, her face lite with happiness. He thought about how they met, and how she was such a pain in the ass for so long... and how he too had been a pain in the ass. He held back a chuckle and kept his gaze on her as she admired the large living area, fireplace, and the larger balcony.

Standing in the center of the room, still enjoying her excitement, he knew there were many who didn't understand any part of their growing relationship that ran the gamut; friendship, lovers, husband and wife.

Her gasp when she entered the kitchen made him grin.

Years ago he realized they had formed a deep friendship and became suddenly aware of how much she hated being stuck underground on base, 'like a mold' as she called it. He talked her into staying at his rarely used apartment. And intermittently, if he needed some time at home, she stayed on base.

His eyes followed her around the large kitchen remembering.

Within weeks after a particularly long and hard mission, and several days downtime he cleaned out a few drawers and all the space in the hall closet for her. Six months in he called to say he needed to drop by to pick up some things. She'd cooked dinner for him and had it waiting. He decided to stay the weekend. Insisting he would sleep on the couch.

She, of course, insisted she would sleep on the couch. And he had very calmly and seriously and totally unexpectedly said, 'Let's both sleep in the bed. It's not like we don't sleep in a small tent together on missions. It's a big bed.'

Vala, eyes wide, had spoken in whisper, 'You're sure?'

And he had answered without hesitation, 'I'm sure.'

He closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the memory of how, late into that night, he called her name softly, knowing she was awake. 'Vala.'

Her answer came in that sultry voice that made him weak even now. 'Daniel.'

That was all he needed to take her in his arms, kissing her, and making love with her for hours. And hours.

Shaking his head to clear the images that had him turned on, Daniel's eyes popped open to find her staring at him with that big wide grin of hers.

"It's all so wonderful, darling. Show me the rest."

The master bedroom, at the end of the tour, had a large beautifully wrapped basket full of the finest chocolates on the bed.

"This is the best anniversary yet!" Vala took a leap and landed on the bed, and dug into her large leather bag. "Here. Present number one."

Opening the wrapped gift he studied the figurine. "This is... wow... it's amazing. I love it. It's reminiscent of Ancient Egyptian idols, but I've never seen one like this. It's a fertility goddess, right? Where'd you find it?"

Tearing the wrapper off of a chocolate bar, she took huge bite and mumbled, "Yes, isn't she lovely? I found it at the market on Storic. Like it?"

"Yep. Perfect. So where's the tiny one?"

She stood and placed her hand flat right under her navel. "Here."

"Your tiny present is in that tiny... what!? Vala, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying, darling." She took the idol from him and set it on the bedside table. "That we don't need this, at least not this year. Happy Anniversary!"

~END


End file.
